2011 Geneva Auto Show: Electric Car Preview

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Contributing Writer BIO

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield is a self-confessed petrol head. She grew up in a carless family but was able at a very early age to name cars passing her on... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Vintage Electric Cars Benefit From New Electric Car Sales Too
If you’re in the market for an electric car, the chances are you’ve resigned yourself... Read More

• #7LEADERBOARD RANK
• 1083ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 21COMMENTS POSTED

1,553 views Feb 25, 2011

Follow Nikki

Add to circle

Opel Ampera Prototype

Enlarge Photo

It’s the end of February, which means that winter is almost over for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and Geneva’s prestigious autoshow is just days away. 

This year we’ve been given unprecedented access to many of the cars due to debut at this year’s show, but in case you’ve missed them here is our roundup of cars due to debut in Geneva this year. 

Production Cars

2012 Opel Ampera Production Version

It may already be well into production in the U.S., but the European version of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the 2012 Opel Ampera, produced by GM’s European brand, has seen little more than a few public events and journalist test-drives. 

With the same internal structure, mechanics and specifications to its U.S. sibling, the 2012 Opel Ampera features different body panels to give it a more daring, futuristic look than the Volt. 

Expect to see the final production version of this car for the first time, along with details of when you’ll see it on the roads of Europe. 

2012 BMW ActiveE Production Version

Just days after BMW bosses announced that the firm was going green with its all new BMWi sub-brand, BMW is gearing up for the Geneva Auto Show with its ‘production’ version of the all-electric 1-series based electric car, the ActiveE. 

Of course, we should note that although termed the production version BMW does not plan at this time to sell the ActiveE, and customers will only be able to drive one through participation in one of a number of lease test schemes worldwide. 

2012 Volvo V60 PHEV

Enlarge Photo

2012 Volvo V60 Diesel Plug-in Hybrid

Volvo hasn’t been particularly quick to the plug-in vehicle world, but as our sneak peek of their V60 plug-in hybrid earlier this month proved its first production plug-in vehicle looks good in the flesh and on paper. 

Powered by a through-the-road plug-in hybrid system, the car features enough luggage space to swallow up a vacation’s worth of suitcases, five seats, ultra-low emissions and a combined fuel economy of 124 mpg in hybrid mode.  Round town, it transforms into a zero-emissions vehicle capable of up to 30 miles in electric only mode. 

2012 Toyota iQ EV

Toyota’s answer to the ultra-small 2011 Smart ForTwo, the iQ has been on the market in Europe for several years as a gasoline car. But at next week’s 2011 Geneva Auto Show, Toyota will showcase its iQ EV, an all-electric version of the 3+1 seat car. 

Toyota iQ EV prototype

Enlarge Photo

While the iQ has twice as many seats as the Smart ForTwo, don’t expect the iQ to be much more than an urban electric vehicle, unless your idea of fun involves freeway driving in what has to be one of the smallest four seaters available worldwide.